The
top ten ways to live longer, according to Forbes.com, are as follows:
1)
Don't oversleep – A study in the ARCHIVES OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY reported that
people who sleep between 6 and 7 hours per night live the longest.
Personally,
I sleep about 10 hours per night. That way, I only need to take two naps during
the day, plus I spend so much time in bed that I'm not as likely to be run over
by a truck.
2)
Be optimistic – Researchers at the Mayo Clinic determined that optimists have a
50 percent lower risk of early death compared to pessimists.
I'm
a pessimist and proud of it. Optimists have high expectations which are not
always met, causing endless disappointment. However, pessimists are never
disappointed because they never expect anything to work out. I'd much rather be
pleasantly surprised on occasion than disappointed.
3)
Have more sex – An April 2004 study in the JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL
ASSOCIATION found that sex keeps us healthy, by reducing stress and making us happier.
Apparently, I'm doomed to live a very short life.
4)
Get a pet – Studies show that people who own
pets, especially dogs, are less stressed, thus live longer. It decreases loneliness,
encourages nurturing and stimulates exercise.
I've always had a dog or two hanging
out with me. If I didn't have a dog, I'd be stuck with my alter ego and an oak
tree for companionship.
5)
Get a VAP – Heart disease is the number one killer in the USA. A
traditional cholesterol test only detects 50 percent of the people with heart
disease. A VAP test has been shown to detect 90
percent of heart disease patients.
Since
I'm in the V.A. medical system, I'll just have to live with 1952 technology and
take my chances.
6)
Be rich – According to the National Center
for Health Statistics, those with the highest poverty rates have the worst
health status. Higher incomes permit access to increased medical care.
However, I prefer to remain poor
because I don't like to pay too many taxes and no one ever tries to borrow
money from me.
7)
Stop smoking – Just about everyone on this planet knows by now that smoking is
bad for your health and frequently leads to premature death.
I
started in junior high and quit ten years later. I did it because all the cool
dudes did it. And I quit because I realized that the coolest dudes of all were
the ones who had minds of their own.
8)
Chill out – A study at Johns Hopkins University
revealed that men having the highest level of anger in response to stress were
over three times more likely to develop premature heart disease than those with
lower anger responses, and over six times more likely to have a heart attack by
age 55.
I was often stressed and angry in my
younger days, until I finally realized suffering was an important part of life
and that I should embrace it.
9)
Eat antioxidants – Free radicals are unstable
chemical compounds that accelerate the aging of our cells and contribute to various
degenerative diseases, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's and cancer. Antioxidants
destroy free radicals. Research shows certain types of beans and berries are
the best sources of antioxidants.
I eat berries once in a while but
tend not to eat too many beans, particularly in public, for obvious reasons.
10)
Marry well -- According to a study in MECHANISMS
OF AGING AND DEVELOPMENT, genetics is an important factor because longevity
genes can be inherited. Healthy aging is passed down from generation to
generation.
My ex-wife married well, both before
and after her marriage to me. I wasn't so lucky. In my own family history, all
the men die young and all the women live forever. I think it has something to
do with nagging.
For
me, the results are mixed. I'm a pessimist, I'm not rich, I oversleep, I've
never had a VAP test, I probably didn't marry well and I haven't had any sex
since we landed on the moon. On the other hand, I have a pet, I don't smoke, I eat
antioxidants occasionally and I curb anger with chill-out resolve by
recognizing it to be a weakness.
___________
Quote for the Day -- "I don't
want to achieve immortality through my work -- I want to achieve it through not
dying." Woody Allen
___________
Bret Burquest is the author of 9 books, including THE REALITY OF
THE ILLUSION OF REALITY and 11:11 EARTH TIME (available on Amazon). He lives in
the Ozark Mountains with a dog named Buddy Lee and where life moves at the
speed of slow.
___________
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